TEXAS METROS ARE TOP PERFORMERS, SANTA MONICA, CA (Milken Institute)

Texas made a strong showing in "America's Best-Performing Cities," the Milken Institute's annual ranking of metros based on economic growth.

Although Provo-Orem, Utah, came out the winner among the 200 large metros that were studied, six major Texas metros made the top 25.

• Austin & Round Rock was ranked fourth
• McAllen-Edinburg-Mission seventh
• Killeen, Temple, Fort Hood 13th
• San Antonio 15th
• Houston,Sugar Land, Baytown 16th
  
• and Dallas-Plano-Irving 23rd

Within the small metros division, which included 124 areas, Texas dominated.

• Midland ranked first in the nation.
  
• Longview in at seventh.
• and Odessa came in tenth
• At 37th, El Paso showed the biggest gain among small metros, jumping 85 spots from its 2007 position.